Hand loom



Sept. 8, 1925.

l,553,l 18 H. STEBER HAND LOOM Filed June 12; 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuentov Sept. 8, 1925.

1,553,118 H. STEBER HAND LOOM Filed June 12, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I0 /4 8 F|s.a,' {5

HOWARD STEBER Sept. s, 1925. 1,553,118

' H.5TEBER HAND LOOM Filed June 12,1924 3 ets-S eet a HOWARD STgBER,

g'woentopg I Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES HOWARD ST'EBER, or UTICA,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BERNARD '1. STEBER, OI

UTICA, NEW YORK.

. HAND LOOM.

Application filed June 12, 1924. SerialNo. 719,523.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, HOWAR STEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Looms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This. invention relates to looms of the type commonly known as hand looms, and the object in view is the production of apparatus combining ease and efiiciency of operation while involving simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction.

A more detail object is the automatic variation of the angularity of the reed rela tive to variations in the location and planes of the exposed portion of finished fabric for insuring the striking of all shots of weft at the same angle for insuring effective closingin thereof.

lVith these and other obiects in view, as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying 'drawings,

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a loom embodying the features of the present invention, the warp beam being shown filled in full lines and disposed horizontally to give the desired angle to the warp when beginning work, and shown in dotted lines after the work has progressed substantially.

Fignre 2 is a front elevation thereof, 1ntermediate portions, duplicates of those shown, being broken out, and the side por tions brought closer together than normally for the saving of space, the warp beam being shown empty andin the vertical position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the plane indicated by line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figures 4: and 5 are similar sections taken on the'planes indicated by lines 4-4.- and 55 of Figure 1, respectively, and looking in the direction indicated respectively by the arrows.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a sl ghtly modified embodiment of the invention, lower portions being identical and being broken away for the saving of space.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1, 1 arethe sides of the main frame of the machine, which may be of solid material or otherwise formed as desired. Sides 1 are connected by cross plates or bars 2, 2, at

the rear, and similar plates or bars 1, 4, at the front; said bars 4, 4, however, are a part of a forwardly-extending frame portion or support 3 for the heddles and warp beam hereinafter described.

At the inner face and upper portion of each side frame 1 are transversely arranged plates fixed to the respective side frame and forming forwardly and rearwardly outstanding brackets 5, 5 and'6, 6. Journaled in and extending between the sides 1 at the upper end portions is a fabric beam 7 having hooks 8, or other appropriate anchorage means for the warp. The journals of beam 7 extend beyond the sides of the loom frame and are provided with cranks 9, 9, or other appropriate means for manual rotation for rolling completed portions of fabric in the form of a scroll upon the beam. Ratchet wheels 10, 10 are fixed to the end portions of beam 7, and are engaged by pawls .11, 11, for locking the beam against reverse. rotation.

Levers 12, 12, are journaled to brackets 5 and extend upwardly therefrom, the free ends of the levers being connected by a rod 13 on which is mounted an idler roller 14, positioned to rest against the finished fabric on beam 7. Links. 15, 15, are pivoted to levers 12 and extend rearwardly therefrom to and pivotally engaging arms 16. There are two. arms 16, one at each side of the frame, and each is pivoted at 17 to its respective bracket 6 at its lower end. The upper, free end of each arm 16 is formed orbearing socket on journal bearing 19 for receiving the vjournals of the reed frame, as hereinafter mentloned. Each arm 16 is guided in its swinging movement, about its pivot 17, by a pin 20 extending laterally from the respective arm and through a guiding, arcuate slot 21 in a bracket 22 fixed to the respective side of the loom frame. Each pin 20 pivotally engages the respective link 15, the link being located between the corresponding arm 16 and its bracket 22, and the projecting end portion of the respective pin 20, beyond the bracket 22, is provided with a washer and nut, or other appropriate connection, allowing of free lateral travel of the pin in slot 21 while preventing any play longitudinally of the pin. Slot 21, in each instance, is of course struck on an arc of circle described about the axis of the respective pivot 17 as a center, and the axes of said pivotes are aligned.

Arranged to move freely, both bodily and pivotally, between the sides of the loom frame is the reed frame 23 having side bars terminating at one end in handles 24, 24, and at the other having laterally extending pivot pins or journals 25, 25. Journals 25 are adapted to lie in the notches of temporary supports 26 26 fixed to the loom frame below arms 16, when the reed is at rest. The reed frame is, however, proportioned for the side bars to lie at the opposite sides of the warp shed and at times, durin operations, to straddle the length of the fab ric scroll to accomplish which the reed frame is, during operation, lifted. and the journals 25 moved to a position engaging bearings 19 of arms 16. Frame 23 is formed with appropriate transverse bars to which are fixed the reed wires 26, 26, all of which are arched downward, as seen in Figure 1, for causing the wires to strike the weft thread being closed or beaten in at approximately right angles at all times regardless of whether at the beginning or at the close, or at any other point in the length of a particular section of fabric. The reed frame during a shuttlethrow, or otherwise when at rest, lies with its journals 25 resting on. the supports 26 and its lower portions resting on portions of the loom frame just above the heddles. The wires 26 are flat and arranged edgewise.

Heddles or heddle frames 27, 27, are mounted in the frame to slide horizontally, the heddles being superimposed and arranged with forwardly-extending racks 28, 28, at their ends. The racks 28 of the upper heddle face downwardly, and those of the lower heddle face upwardly. A pinion 29 is arranged between and in mesh with each pair of racks 28, and the pinions 29 are connected by an operating shaft 30, which is journaled in the loom frame, and provided with extended end portions engaged by cranks 31, 31, for manual actuation of the parts. lVhen the parts are originally as- "sembled, the heddles are so located relative to each other that, when one is in its foremost position, the other will be in its rearmost position; whereby pinions 29, as best seen n F gure 1, when the heddles are in either extreme of their movements, will mesh with the racks 28 of one heddle practically at one end thereof and with the racks 28 of the other heddle practically at the opposite end thereof. Rotation of the pinions 29 first in one direction and then the other will effect the desired shifting of the heddles to the alternate extremes of their movements. A stop 32 for each of the heddles at the inner end of its movement insures effective positioning of the heddles, as the limiting of movement of one heddle in one direction necessarily limits the movement of the other in the opposite direction. The inner terminus of each rack 28 might suflice as the required stops, but there would be some danger of strain and injury by an unobserving operator who might spring the parts by stressing the pinions 29 farther after arriving at the inner terminus of the racks of one of the heddles. The construction and arrangement of the eyes of the heddles are common and well known, the location being clearly indicated in Figure 1 by the positions of the warp.

Journaled in the loom frame, below the heddles, is the warp beam 33, having operating cranks 84, 3a, and held against rotaof carpet for which the present improved loom is especially well adapted, it is cus- Pins 87, 37,

In practice, as many tomary, when filling the warp beam 3?), to

wind on about eighteen to twenty strands between each pair of pins. As a matter of convenience and facility in filling warp beam 33, bobbin-supporting pins 38, 38, are arranged to upstand from the two lower plates 2 2, and eyes 39, 39, depend from the lower edges of the two upper plates 2 to serve as guides for the yarn from such bobbins. It is desirable to feed as many yarns to beam 33 between each pair of pins 37 as there are bobbins, and to insure the proper building of such yarn on the beam in a manner to provide for feeding off without entanglement, a comb or other well known. guide, not shown, is preferably employed. This arrangement for filling the beam 33 is for the convenience of the operator, and the beam may be refilled in any other manner as may become or appear preferable.

To stabilize the support of the frame, its footing is preferably increased by foot boards 40, 40, fixed to the lower end of the loom frame and extending therebeyond.

In operation, the parts being in the position seen in Figure 1, with the warp beam disposed horizontally, the yarn having been threaded through heddles 27 and reed 26, and attached to beam 7, the shuttle, not

shown, is manually passed through the warp shed, seen in full lines in Figure 1. The shuttle is passed above the reed 26 and outside of the loom frame. It is, of course, understood that every alternate warp thread is passed through an eye of one of the heddles of the top row and they play in the slots between eyes of the bottom row, while the same relation is true of the other heddles, whereby the warp shed is formed as seen in Figure 1, and after the first throw of the shuttle the reed is moved to close in or beat up the weft thread just laid, and then shaft 30 is rotated to move the heddles to the opposite end of their movements; whereby the shed is reversed and the warp crossed beneath the weft just laid. The shuttle is then passed through the shed from the opposite side and the operation repeated. lVith each throw of the shuttle, the reed frame is moved from the position seen in Figure 1, being picked up bodily and moved until pins 25 lie in sockets 19, and then the reed frame is swung on said pins as pivots for causing reed wires 26 to strike and close in the weft. The weft is struck squarely each time approximately at right angles, incident to the arching of the reed wires. After the beating stroke, the reed frame is bodily lowered again to its at rest position.

Fixed to each side 1 is a trough or support 41 for the shuttle, into first one and then the other of which the shuttle is placed by the operator as a convenient support while he is carrying out the other phases of the weaving operation.

The weaving operation will continue until a desired section of fabric has been produced, varying in length of course according to the preference of the operator, but if we assume the length to be such as to be equal to the length of one wrap of warp about beam 33, then upon completion of such a length, the operator, leaving the parts in the at rest position, lifts the pawls 35, so as to free beam 33, (which may now be turned to release some of the warp), and then revolves beam 7 for rolling up the finished section of fabric. Sufficientwarp will be let off from beam 33 to compensate for the fabric wrapped on beam 7, and pawls 35 are then dropped back to serve as a detent against further turning of beam 33, and for maintaining the desired tension on the warp as hereinafter set forth. The beam 33 will in each instance be left at the angle required to compensate for varying angularity of the warp with the increase in diameter of the fabric on beam 7 The weaving operation then continues as before, and it will be noted that as the fabric was rolled onto beam 7 it was interposed between the beam and the idler roller 1 1 which was proportionally moved away from beam 7. Such movement of roller 14: causes levers 12 to move forwardly, carrying with them the links 15 and the arms 16. Thus the bearings 19 for pinsv 25 moved identically the same as the forward movement of'the pendent portion of fabric being worked upon. The reed wires 26 thus always retain substantially the same relation to the pendent section of finished fabric, and the section of fabric being built up will always be woven between the same'two horizontal'planes. In Figure 1 is indicated, by a dotted line, the location of the periphery of the roll of fabric after having attained a considerable size. The shed is also indicated in dotted lines when the operation has progressed this far. It will be noted that the section of fabric now beingworked upon lies between the same two horizontal planes as when the work was started, and the relation of reed wires 26 thereto is identically the same.

'In Figure 6 is shown a very slight modification of the structure above described, in which sides 1 are identical with sides 1 except for aligned openings v42, 42, and flexible supports, such as chains 43, suspended at 44 from the loom frame. The chains 43,' there being one at each side of the loom frame, engage, preferably detachably, the side bars of reed frame 23 so as to sustain the same in its raised position or position for making a beating stroke by merely swinging on its pins 25. The apertures 42- are provided to accommodate passage of the shuttle through the shed above the reed before the fabric roll has caused the shed to move beyond the sides of the loom frame.

.Otherwise the structure and operations are identically as above described with reference to the disclosure in Figure 1, and the same reference numerals have accordingly been employed.

In the embodiment seen in Figure 6, there is no occasion for bodily lifting or shifting of the reed frame, and in the structure seen in Figure 1, wherein such bodily action is required with every shot of weft, it may become desirable to provide a counterbalance for the reed frame, such as a spring or springs or pulleys, cables and weights (not illustrated) for relieving the operator of the strain of lifting the reed frame.

It is to be observed that, as the roll of ful, the tension of the two sides of the warp &

shed should be kept substantially the same for best results. In so far as the angle of one side of the shed can be maintained the same or equal to that of the other, the tension will remain uniform. It is to be noted, therefore, that beam 33 being fiat and polysidcd may be leaned one way or the other according to the angle caused by the roll of completed fabric, so that the positioning of the warp beam 33 and locking of the same by pawls 35 and ratchets 36 will be always relative to the location of the upper terminus of the warp shed, and the tension of the two sides of the shed will be caused thereby to remain substantially the same regardless of actual variation of angle. For example, if beam 33 were left always in the vertical position, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, then when the scroll of fabric reached the point indicated by the dotted shed in Figure 1, each side of the shed would alternately be under increased tension and decreased tension first at one extreme of the stroke of its heddle and then at the other. To avoid this undesirable result, the beam 33 is adjusted angularly, and locked in the adjusted position by pawls 35, as indicated in dots in Figure 1. The adjusting of the beam 33 will always be such as to narrow the angle of those portions of warp from beam 33 to the respective heddle proportional to and compensating for widening of the angle of the same portions from the heddle to the finished fabric. Thus the effect of adjustments of beam 33 is to maintain angularity of the warp practically constant, and the securing of a resultant practically uniform tension of both sides of the warp shed at all times.

Vhat is claimed is 1. In aloom, the combination, with warp shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a fabric beam, a shiftable reed support, a reed adapted to engage said support, and means actuated by fabric on the beam for shifting the reed support.

2. In a loom, the con'ibination, with warp shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a finished fabric carrier, a shift-able reed, and means located adjacent the fabric carrier for being moved by the fabric as the same accumulates on the carrier for proportionally shifting the reed.

3. In a loom, the combination, with warp shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed shiftable laterally relative to the shed, a pivoted support for the reed, and means for moving the support pivotally during weaving operation.

4. In a loom, the combination, with warp shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed shiftable laterally relative to the shed, a movable support having a journal bearin for the reed, and means for shifting the support incident to and proportional to weaving operations.

5. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed therefor, a movable support for the reed, and means for moving the support for maintaining the reed at all times in substantially the same relation tov the fabric being woven.

6. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed therefor, a movable support for the reed, and means actuated by the woven fabric for moving the reed support for maintaining the reed at all times in substantially the same relation to the fabric being woven.

7. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with a. loom frame, and warp shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed support pivotally mounted in the frame and upstanding from' its pivot and having a journal bearing at its upper portion, a reed journaled in said bearing, and fabric actuated means for swinging the support on its pivot during weaving operations.

8. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and. shifting apparatus, of a movably mounted reed support, a reed adapted to pivotally engage said support, and means for moving the support for maintaining a. substantially given relation between the reed and the fabric being woven.

9. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a movably mounted reed sup port, a reed adapted to pivotally engage said support, and means for moving the support for maintaining a substantially give-n relation between the reed and the fabric being woven, the reed having curved reed wires.

10. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed support, and a reed mounted to move independently of and relative to said support, the said reed being adapted to engage the support during a weft closing-in stroke.

11. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed adapted to swing pivotally for the weft closing-in stroke, said reed being mounted to be shifted bodily to and from the said stroking position, a pivotal support for the reed, and means for moving said support relative to variations in the location of fabric being woven.

12. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and shifting apparatus, of a reed adapted to swing pivotally for the weft-closing-in stroke, said reed being mounted to be shifted bodily to and from the said stroking position, and a mg apparatus, of a reed adapted to swing .pivotally for the Weft closing-in stroke, said reed being mounted to be shifted bodily t0 and from the said stroking position, a. pivotal support for the reed, and means actuated by the woven fabric for moving said support relative to variations in the location of fabric being Woven.

14. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with Warp-shed maintaining-and shifting apparatus and a fabric beam for receiving the fabric as it is woven, of a roller engaging the fabric on the beam, a reed for closing-in the weft, a movably mounted support for the reed, and means actuated by the roller for moving said reed support relative to variations in the location of the fabric being woven.

15. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and shifting means, of a pair of pivotally-Inounted arms, a reed adapted to pivo-tally engage the arms when swinging for closing-in the Weft, and means for swinging the arms for shifting the axis of the reed.

16. In weaving apparatus, the combination, with warp-shed maintaining and shifting means, of a pair of pivotally-mounted arms, a reed adapted to pivotally engage the arms when swinging for closing-in the Weft, a lever, and means actuated by the lever for swinging the arms for shifting the axis of the reed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 7 HOWARD STEBER. 

